The Patriots scored 28 points in less than 20 minutes. Still, Brady was disappointed with the effort overall in the 41-34 loss. He noted it was a sloppy game with a ton of fumbles on both sides, although the Patriots failed to recover their fumbles. He gave the 49ers' defense a lot of credit for applying pressure, but he also said many of the Patriots' problems were "self-inflicted."

He especially was disappointed at what happened after New England tied the score at 31.

"We kind of gave it to them at that point. We didn't do anything on offense," Brady said. "We didn't put up the kind of fight I wish we would have been able to."

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It's not surprising Brady feels that way. We take the other angle.

At the toughest moments in the biggest game of the season, the 49ers responded. They hit back. San Francisco's tired defense, on the field for more than 90 plays, created pressure out of nowhere.

Despite giving up a ton of yards in the second half, it was a big-time performance in a big game by one of the best defenses in football.